Match book



June 2, 1942. T. B. THOMPSON MATCH BOOK Filed Dec.

HVVENTOR.

113.17107rzps012 ATTORNEYS Patented June 2, 1942 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE MATCH BOOK Tilford B. Thompson, Minneapolis, Minn. Application December 5, 1939, Serial No. 307,693

2 Claims.

This invention relates to match books, one of the objects being to provide an article of this character having the striking surface atthat end remote from the match heads, this surface being located within a groove whereby the head of a. match, while being ignited; will be guided properly along the striking surface and the resultant flame will be'deflected away from the heads of theremaining matches in the book, the side walls of the groove serving as protecting shields or guards. y

A further object is to provide the'match book in which the striking surface is positioned where it will: not be affected by perspiration, if carried in a pocket during warmweather.

A still further object is to provide a striking surface so located that the side walls or guard portions thereof serve as guides whereby the location of the striking surface can be determined readily in the dark.

Another object is to provide an article of this characterfrom which a match can be removed after which the head of the match can be lighted on the striking surface while the book is closed and the heads of the remaining matches fully protected.

A further object is to provide a match book having a larger area for advertising purposes than is afforded by match books of the ordinary make, this being due to the fact that no part of either side of the book is occupied by a striking surface but all parts can be used for display purposes.

Another object is to mount the matches in a new and novel manner within the cover of the book. 7

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the

invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, itbeing understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without, departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

'In the accompanying drawing the preferred forms of theinvention have been shown.

In said drawing I Figure lis a side elevation of a match book constructed in accordance with the present invention, the matches being shown in their normal or housed positions.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the matches swung relative to the cover for the purpose of exposing one or more matches to be removed.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section online 3-3,

Figure 1.

, Figure 4 is an enlarged section on line 4-4,

Figure 2, showing the use of a staple as a pivot.

Figure 5 is atop plan view of the match book shown in Figure l.

Figure 6 is an elevation of an open match book of modified construction.

-Referring to the figures by characters of reference, l designates a single lengthof material,

such as light cardboard, folded at its center and,

in the structure shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, a staple 2 is extended through this cover near one of they corners remote from the fold while the opposed free corners are cut away to provide a finger-receiving recess 3. Pivotally mounted on one of thearms of the staple 2 is the back strip 4 from which matches 5 are extended. This strip as well as the matches is normally housed within the book as shown in Figure l at which time one end portion of the back strip 4 is exposed within the recesses 3. When the back strip is thus located the exposed outer or longitudinal edge portion 6 thereof forms the bottom. of a guide channel the side walls of which are formed by the adjacent portions of the cover I. This channel has been indicated at l in Figures 3 and 4. That edge of the back portion 4 forming the bottom of the groove or channel is provided with a coating 8 of a material forming a striking surface on which the heads of the matches will ignite when drawn thereover.

Normally the parts are located as in Figure 1.

Obviously, therefore, this match book can be carried in the pocket without danger of the striking surface being affected by perspiration. When it is desired to use a match, the back portion 4 is gripped where exposed between the recesses is and is pulled outwardly until one of the matches 5 can be grasped and removed from the back portion 4. The matches are then swung back to normal position within the book after which the head of the removed match is pulled longitudi-' nally within channel 1 and along the surface 8 where it will become ignited. If the matches have not been pushed back into the cover as far as they should go, this action will tend to bring them to their normal positions within the cover as shown at Figure 1. Furthermore when the match is ignited the heads of the remaining matches are fully protected by the cover and are located at points remote from the striking surface. As a further safeguard, the side walls of thechannel 1 form guards or shields so that sparks will be deflected away from the hand grasping the book and also away from the positions occupied by the heads of the matches in the book.

Not only do the side walls of the channel serve as shields or guards but they also constitute guides and indicators. They insure movement of the match head along the striking surface and also indicate to the user if in the dark, the exact location of the striking surface.

Instead of forming the match book with a pivoted filler of matches as shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, the same can be made as shown in Figure 6 wherein the back strip 9 from which the matches I I] extend is stapled, glued or otherwise attached to the cover H, as indicated at I2. This cover is adapted to be folded along an intermediate line as indicated at [3 and when folded will serve to protect the matches and also 00- operate with the opposed portion of the cover to form a channel similar to channel I and the bottom of which consists of the striking surface l4.

Obviously. by removing the striking surface from the face of the cover, a greater area is provided for advertising purposes and, consequently, the value of the article as an advertising medium is materially increased.

It is to be understood that the structure shown in Figures 1 and 2 need not be provided with the recesses 3 but, instead, the matches could be swung outwardly from the cover by pressing against them through one open side of the cover. Furthermore this type of match book could be used for holding business cards, it being possible to position them between the sides of the cover and the stems of the matches.

What is claimed is:

1. A match book including a filler comprising a back portion and matches extending from one edge of the back portion, a striking material on the opposite edge of the back portion, a cover straddling the filler and having its free ends eX- tended in the same direction past the striking material and beyond the back to provide a channel, and a pivotal connection between said end portions of the cover and one end portion of the back of the filler, said filler being mounted to swing about said connection and relative to the cover to expose one or more matches for removal from the back of the filler.

2. A match book including a filler comprising a back portion, matches extending from one edge of the back portion, a striking material on the opposed edge of the back portion, a cover straddling the matches and back portion and having its ends extended in the same direction past the striking material, said striking material and the ends of the cover cooperating to provide a guide channel for a match head, and a connection between the cover and the back portion of the filler.

TILFORD B. THOMPSON. 

